UFL

St. Louis Battlehawks Release Star QB A.J. McCarron

The St. Louis Battlehawks released the player rights of starting quarterback A.J. McCarron on Friday.

Anthony Miller

Apr 2, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; Louis Battlehawks quarterback A.J. McCarron (10) passes against the Houston Roughnecks St. in the first quarter at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Apr 2, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; Louis Battlehawks quarterback A.J. McCarron (10) passes against the Houston Roughnecks St. in the first quarter at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
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In one of the biggest surprises of the offseason, the potential return of quarterback A.J. McCarron to the UFL for the 2025 season doesn't look like it will happen.

On Friday, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Ben Frederickson posted the news that the St. Louis Battlehawks were releasing McCarron. McCarron never re-signed with the team so the team is releasing his player rights. This led to the Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht releasing a statement regarding the news of McCarron's release.

"The UFL continues to be a league of opportunity and we have come to the decision to move forward looking at new opportunities at the quarterback position. A.J. McCarron has been a tremendous part of the success of our team the last two seasons and we are grateful for all of his contributions. It's with respect for A.J. that we wanted to provide him a clear path forward as he decides what is next in his football future."

After the Battlehawks' statement, McCarron took to social media to give his brief statement on the situation.

"My phone must not work anymore to let me know when this was actually going down BUT....," McCarron said in a social media post. "STL!! Thank you for the last two seasons. You will hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life. I will talk more on this situation and my future on Monday at 2 pm CT on @mccreadyandsiskey. #Mac10Monday"

The McCready and Siskey Podcast released a clip of that interview on Thursday where McCarron had some strong words on his experience traveling in the UFL and XFL.

"I've had some s**t go down like from the s**t talking standpoint because the UFL and the XFL, opposing teams fly on the same plane. You want to talk about some s**t. You either whoop their ass or they whoop your ass on the field and then you're getting on the same plane."

"If it weren't for my kids, I remember getting on the plane for the first time not knowing we were all flying together and we were the home team, so the opposing team goes on first. So I'm going on the plane and I was one of the first ones on. I sit towards the front and I'm like looking back there and I'm like 'it's the f**king other team, like what are we doing'. I'm like if I didn't love my kids, I would've walked off and retired then. I was like I didn't sign up for this s**t."

McCarron has been one of the biggest faces of spring football with the XFL and the UFL as the Battlehawks' starting quarterback. Last season in nine games, McCarron threw for 1,582 yards and 15 touchdowns to four interceptions. Back in 2023 in the XFL, he had an MVP season with 2,150 yards and 24 touchdowns to six interceptions.

McCarron has not been shy about sharing his thoughts and opinions on his spring football experience. Earlier in the year, he spoke out about his concerns about a union and not wanting to join one and that he was on the fence about playing in 2024 before ultimately deciding to play.

There appears to be more to the story that fans can tune in to hear on Monday.

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Anthony Miller
ANTHONY MILLER

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